Parallels
by wildfire1980
Summary: Data is caught up in a world of two parallels but will he be able to figure out which one is real?
1. Chapter 1

"_**Parallels" **_

_**Star Trek: The Next Generation**_

_**Rating: T**_

_**Pairings: Data/OC**_

_**Summary: Data is caught up in a world of two parallels but will he be able to figure out which one is real? **_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Geordi patted Data's back as they took their seats in Ten Forward. His anxiety showing in his demeanor toward his friends new found ability.

"So Data, tell me what it's like to experience dreams now?"

The android wearily met his friend's eyes. "I am afraid that I have disabled the dream sequence."

Shocked, Geordi pushed on. "But why Data, it's just another step closer to you evolving. It's nothing to be afraid of."

"I am incapable of experiencing fear, Geordi."

The engineer rolled his eyes at the androids stoic remark. "I don't know Data. You're breaking the laws of sentience everyday. Just a few weeks ago you couldn't even sleep, let alone dream. Now look at you!"

Data's eyes left Geordi's for a moment, staring blankly at his hands folded neatly upon the glass table.

"Wait a second." Geordi repeatedly began snapping his fingers as the thought hit him, his body leaning in closely over the table as he whispered. "Data, have you had a nightmare? Is that why you discontinued the program?"

The androids yellow piercing eyes snapped back up to meet Geordi's visor.

"Nightmare - " Data quietly repeated the word to himself, as his eyes darted from left to right, accessing the proper information. "Ah, an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong negative emotional response from the mind, typically fear or horror, but also despair, anxiety and great sadness. Correct?"

"Yes, Data but you failed to answer the question."

Again, the android was evasive. "It is not a nightmare."

The engineer almost leaped out of his seat from the android's folly. "So you _have_ seen something in your dreams, haven't you?"

Data cocked his head to the side in a mechanical, perplexing way. "It is not what I have seen but _who_ I am seeing."

"Okay, I'm afraid I can't help you if you keep deflecting, Data."

The android remained silent.

Geordi shrugged his shoulders at one last desperate attempt to draw the secret out of him. "So who is it?"

Data narrowed his eyes in a way that unpleasantly reminded Geordi of his twin brother, Lore. Was the android silently warning him to back off?

"I can not disclose that information, Geordi."

The man exhaled loudly, annoyed at his best friends secrecy over the subject as he slouched back in his chair.

"Why not?"

"Because the person who is currently reoccurring in my dreams." The android paused a moment, cautiously choosing his next words. "I made a promise to never divulge what we shared between one another."

Geordi threw his hands up in the air, obviously frustrated. "Alright, maybe you can tell me what the dream is about without letting me know whom it's about."

Data still remained guarded. "That is not possible due to that nature of the dreams."

Despite the visor blocking the view of his eyes, Data could still see his friend's eyebrows rising in astonishment.

"You're having illicit dreams of someone?" Geordi asked in disbelief. "Wow, Data and here I thought you were a gentleman."

The android ignored the discerning looks from patrons at other tables, his brows furrowed in anger as he dangerously tapped his index finger against the glass table. "This conversation is over!" He gritted through his teeth.

Immediately, the android was out of his seat and making his way out into the corridor, leaving his best friend completely stunned.

Data waited patiently for the turbo-lift as he heard Geordi approach him from behind.

"I'm sorry, Data." The android turned to face the man whom was considerably still unnerved by that past event. Geordi pointed back at Ten Forward. "But what was that?"

The doors to the turbo-lift swooshed open and Data quickly stepped in, his friend following close behind.

"Damn it Data, are you going to tell me what's going on with you or am I going to have to inform the Captain of your erratic behavior?"

Data's head turned to glare into Geordi's eyes. "I am functioning within normal parameters." He lied.

"The hell you are! You've defied all the laws of physics within the past five minutes. You're dreaming and with those dream's you're experiencing lust, anger, deception and anxiety. All emotions that are exempt from your programming – you're acting more human by the minute, Data!"

Data moved to press a button on the console and immediately the turbo-lift halted its descent. The fear that was evident within Geordi's eyes disconcerted him.

"I do not know what is wrong with me." The android pleaded. "I had come to the conclusion that if I discontinued the dream sequence that the malfunctions would stop but unfortunately that is not the case." He paused a moment and for the first time Geordi could see in his friend the one emotion he never expected to see – distress. "Please, help me. In my dreams I can taste and feel sensations, emotions. I can still smell her scent, it haunts me. _She_ is haunting me. My dreams are somehow incorporating themselves into my reality. I can not stop them."

Geordi's features changed from that of fear to sympathy. He leaned forward, grabbing Data and pulling him into a tight embrace, as he patted him hard on his back. "Come on, let's go to engineering and see if we can't find out what's going on." He leaned back, taking note of another amazing feat the android was now accomplishing – tears! He was crying; _how_ his friend had no idea but what he did know was this, he would get to the bottom of it all. Something was causing his friend to malfunction. Maybe it was another hidden program that Dr. Soong had installed to make itself known once Data reached another level of consciousness. Whatever it was, he would find it. "Come on Data, let's go."

-x-x-x-x-x-

_Author's Notes: Sorry for not updating Within the Confines of Time, I plan to update soon! I've had this fanfic over-riding my brain right now, so I finally gave in and wrote the first chapter to it. It's a bit dark and suspense filled but I think it just might work. I hope you guys enjoy it._


	2. Chapter 2

"_**Parallels"**_

_**Chapter 2 ~ "Dream On"**_

_**Rating (M): So anyone whom is under the age of 18 – please don't read any further!**_

_**Summary: Data enters a dream state and finds someone waiting for him.**_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Within moments of activating his dream sequence, Data found himself in bed, his eyes opening immediately to the ceiling of the occupants quarters that had invaded his dreams as of lately. Her hand was as smooth as silk, tracing the contours of his chest and arms. The sensation was remarkable, almost as hypnotic as the stimulation their last love induced encounter had provoked. He briefly closed his eyes relishing the contact of her body against his, burning the memory of her touch into the confines of his mechanical mind.

"You know Data, I don't think that I've ever told you this before but I absolutely adore the color of your eyes." She said in a modest confession.

Again, he opened them, only to find his partner hovering above his face. Her right breast lightly grazing his chest as her blond hair, which was slightly longer than normal, fell gently around her face. Data softly reached up, tucking a rebellious strand behind her ear, so he could satisfy the overwhelming desire to stare at the outlines of her face. A face that he had not had the privilege of beholding for eight years, seven months, sixteen days, four minutes and twenty-two seconds.

'_Unfortunately,' _Data thought_, 'time is a contradiction in itself. It can be so cruel and fickle in its passing. Its endless cycle can prolong any heartache, never passing quick enough. And yet when in the arms of another, time remains forever evasive, its duration annoyingly short-lived.' _If he had a choice about the matter, he would dream forever! If it meant she would continue on by his side.

The situation itself was ironically hysterical to an emotionless android, by all intent and purposes he should not be experiencing the loneliness that has accompanied him throughout her absence, not to mention the intense affection that befalls him while in her presence. The whole scenario itself could very well pass off as one of Q's sick tricks, just another immoral way for a god to be entertained.

Finally, he ceased his positronic mind from it's wonderings to make a comment to her previous assessment.

"I was not aware that my eyes were that attractive, in fact their color has often been acclaimed as -" He solemnly shrugged his shoulders. "Unusual."

The woman's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "I don't see how! I find blue to be very appealing, especially on you!" She admitted as she leaned in, placing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Data smiled in return, despite his inability to believe her claims about the color of his eyes. His eyes had been yellow for thirty-five years now, from the very moment of his assimilation. And given the way she was now looking at him, he could care less what color they were right now.

His hands slowly moved up her back, lightly stroking her skin. He watched in utter amazement as her lips closed in on their target, eliciting a small groan from deep within his throat. He noted mentally how remarkably well his lips fitted to hers. Her tongue slowly licked his lips, as her teeth softly grazed his bottom lip, pulling on it softly. Data raised his head slightly from the pillow following the movement of her retreating lips as her tongue desperately found its way to his. A sensual dance ensuing between the two as her right hand began slowly, agonizingly moving lower.

To his dismay, she broke the kiss only to drag her lips along his jaw line, further down to his neck. She licked and sucked away as Data watched her hand in anticipation as it slowly slipped beneath the thin sheet that now covered the bottom half of his torso. The moment her hand found its mark, Data immediately shut his eyes along with a deep intake of breath. He smiled in turn, as he could envision the devilish smile that now played upon her lips from his reaction to her foreplay.

It was pure torture what her hand was doing to him - complete unadulterated torture! A sweet yet blissful combination of desire and desperation - he wanted more, he needed more! And his craving would not be denied, at least for tonight! It had been less than eighteen hours since their previous coupling, an agonizing eternity for an android who had gone so long without the woman who had claimed his heart by just one night.

His hands slowly went down her thighs beneath the sheet, the feel of her skin beneath his hands was tantalizing. Data crooked his hand underneath the leg that was lazily draped over his and began pulling on it, as his companion quickly heeded the silent message, pulling herself completely on top of him. Data firmly grasped her buttocks as she wickedly began rocking her hips back and forth. The sensation was unrelenting in his desire to be inside her, as he desperately pushed himself up only to have her deny his entry by teasingly moving out of the way. The whole situation was maddening! But if being with this woman meant losing his insanity then he would gladly leave reality behind.

Finally, he tightened his grip upon her buttocks, his strength yielding her movements as he thrust himself hard inside her. The moan his action elicited from her was music to his ears and with each thrust he was rewarded with another. Data swiftly moved his hands from her buttocks to her hips as he continued in stilling her body, allowing him to drive himself as deep as he could go.

Every nerve was tingling, every touch a fiery trail of her body wildly grinding into his. He could feel the onslaught of his orgasm creeping up on him as he continued pushing himself inside, her moans growing louder and louder with each thrust. He knew she was close, he could feel the tightness of her body reacting and he wanted so much to give her the ecstasy that awaited her, he wanted to claim it for both of them – but not yet!

Quickly he flipped her over, never once leaving the confines of her warmth that was so amazingly wrapped around him. He stalled his movements purposely, allowing them both to come back down from the tension that had been building within their bodies. Data's partner silently cursed him for his negligence and he couldn't help the smile that snaked across his lips. The woman hastily pulled his head down to her.

"Gonna wipe that damn smile off your face, Data!" she exclaimed in between breaths as her lips crashed upon his.

And he had to admit she was successful on two points. One, he wasn't smiling anymore and two, she got him moving again as he pushed himself all the way to the hilt. Her arms blindly feeling around the bed for anything to grasp onto, something to help her alive the pleasure he was stirring up within her once again. Finally, her hands landed upon the side of her pillow, as her fingers desperately bunched up the soft material within her hands.

"Gawd Data!" she cried out. "So close, oh please…please don't stop!"

Data moved his head beside hers, turning his lips toward her ear as her hands left the pillow, only to tighten themselves around his neck. Data's grunts were now matching the volume of hers as he continued driving into her.

She quickened her pace to match his, pushing down hard as he, with just as much force pushed inside. It was a magical blend of passion and fury, one that mimicked the night of their first union. The very night she had seduced him in his drunken state.

Within moments, they were both driving each other over the edge. An onslaught of emotion and passion combined into one, a sweet release to a beautiful beginning as each wave rocked through them.

Data continued to lie on top of her as she silently rubbed his back, both still panting from their recent peak.

After a moment of silence, her voice broke the air. "Maybe I should-" she panted in between breaths. "Compliment you more often on your eyes." She admitted.

Data smiled in return as he reached out and briefly kissed her lips, laying his head back upon her chest as he slowly closed his eyes.

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Immediately Data's eyes jolted open as he took in his surroundings. Geordi was at his side, disconnecting the link between his positronic brain and the computers of the Enterprise. He was in engineering and no longer lying within the arms of the woman who had just occupied his dreams.

"So tell me, did you see her again?" Geordi asked curiously.

Data lightly nodded his head. "Affirmative, she was there." His head tilted to the side in a perplexing manner that was so android-like to him. "It's Tasha!" Data revealed as he looked at his best friend. "I believe she may be trying to contact me somehow through my dreams."

A look of shock filled Geordi's features but Data only assumed the revelation of dreaming about crewmember that had been dead for eight years now was the reason for it. He was wrong!

"Data, your eyes -" His friend leaned in even closer to get a more proper look. "They're blue!"

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

_**Author's Notes: Sorry about the graphicness of this chapter but I'm afraid that scenes like these will be quite a re-occurrence in this story. It plays a crucial role to the situation Data is in and who he is in it with. I hope you all are enjoying it. I'll try my best to get "Within the Confines of Time" updated today. I'm afraid it's a beautiful day here in SC and the lake and my waverunner are beckoning to me. But I promise to have it posted no later than by tomorrow. Hopefully this chapter will do till the new update for that story. Again, I wanted to thank you all for the reviews. It really does fuel what I write and obviously keeps the stories stirring within my crazy mind. I can honestly say that I've never stayed fixated on a certain show for this long when I write but the reviews keep my mind in a state where I am happy to entertain the readers. So with that said. I hope you all enjoyed it!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**"Parallels"**_

_**Chapter 3 ~ The Problem At Hand**_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Captain Picard sat intrigued at the sight before him. His second in command, not a mere man but an android that he has had the privilege of serving with for seven years now appeared to be an enigma. It was a mystery, one that the Captain intended on solving.

It was a perplexing problem that not only caught the chief of engineer at an unawares but the android as well. Both were at a complete loss as to what Data's body was beginning to do.

An awkward silence filled the Captain's ready room as he stared in amazement. The pale, yellow appearance of Data's eyes long gone, only to be replaced by a deep, cobalt blue. Even he had to admit that they were quite striking in color, so much so that he noticed them the moment the android stepped through his threshold. Despite the engaging warnings on Geordi's part, he still found himself utterly in shock.

Picard tore his gaze from Data's appearance as he questioned LaForge a little further.

"Did the tests you perform reveal any malfunctions or hidden programs within his positronic matrix that we may possibly be unaware of?"

Geordi shrugged his shoulders in a perplexing fashion. "If there is, Dr. Soong hid it so well that even the technology of this day and age can't find it." He threw his hands up in defeat. "I ran every possible test while he was asleep and nothing in his programming has initiated -" He looked pointedly at Data, in a direct response to his eyes._ "This!"_

"If I remember correctly." Picard began. "His dream sequence was nothing more than a dormant program that was jump started by accident. Perhaps this is another one of those cases. A lasting attempt on Dr. Soong's part to make Data appear more human once he reaches a certain level of growth."

Data remained silent, as Geordi answered the Captain's intriguing theory. "It is possible, Captain." His brows visibly rose in concern behind his visor. "The only question is why not create him with the appearance of a human from the start, why go through all the trouble of making him so different to begin with?"

"Dr. Soong was an eccentric man, perhaps he wanted Data to look the part. After his failed attempts on Earth which ended in mockery among the universe, maybe he felt the need to make him look as an android. So that his claims of success couldn't be dismissed because Data's uniqueness would be the silencing factor to all those doubting cyberneticists."

Still, Data remained silent, a distant perturbed look encroaching upon his normal, ageless face.

His tacit behavior was beginning to trouble Captain Picard.

"Data?"

The android remained quiet, his blue eyes fixated on the shine of his boots.

Picard forcibly spoke his name a little louder, almost like a father scolding his child.

_"Data?!"_

Finally the android's face rose to meet the concerned look of his Captain.

"Is there anything in your dreams that might possibly standout as to why this change is occurring?"

Data's eyes met Geordi's for support, clearly taken back by the reminder of his dreams.

Silently, Geordi nodded his head in support. A non-communicative gesture between the two friends for Data to reveal the state of his dreams.

Complete and utter defeat laced the android's voice. "She's haunting me!"

Picard quickly caught onto the fear in his inability to control what was happening to him. Immediately the Captain sympathized with him. It had to be a daunting task to be someone who could easily run diagnostics on his state of function and apply a simple, easy fix to the solution. But that ability was now lost in the abyss of the unknown, along with the imminent danger of what his body was now doing.

A vast array of changes were taking place. His appearance, as well as his inadequacy to experience emotions. He was struggling with this transformation, that much was clear to Picard. Although Data never vocalized those concerns directly.

"_Who_ is haunting you, Data?"

Again, the android shut down verbally.

Picard tried a different approach. "Geordi tells me your experiencing a state of recurring dreams, is this true?"

Refusing to meet his gaze, Data softly answered. "It's not the dreams that are repeating - it's the person in the dreams!" An image of his last dream replayed fleetingly across his mind and he shook his head from side to side in a desperate attempt to shut it down. "I specifically recalled to myself in the dream how long she had been dead and yet, there she was!"

"And what does the time of her death have to do with anything now?"

"Because it's a complete contradiction to what I know to be stored facts within my memory banks."

"And what do you remember, Data?"

Agitated, the android slammed his fist against the desk, startling the Captain and Geordi both.

"I remember gaining the ability to dream three years ago but according to Geordi I have just achieved that accomplishment by accident mere weeks ago. And then there's the vagueness about my emotional state and yet again, I remember Geordi installing my emotion chip two years ago."

Both officers began to smirk at Data's discrepancies.

"Data, you destroyed the emotion chip shortly after Lore captured you. He was using the negative allure of emotions to control you. You never installed it because of the fact that it was those emotions that almost caused you to kill me!" Geordi explained. "And your dream sequence began a few weeks ago, after a power surge at deep space nine shut you down completely."

The android began erratically shaking his head from side to side. "No, I remember! I know that Tasha has been dead for eight years now. Their is no disputing that fact. I do not know if she is trying to warn me by helping me remember what reality I am in." He looked down and then back to Picard. "Maybe I am in some sort of parallel universe or something but I do know that Tasha is the only reason why I am remaining sane. She is my constant in this sea of blackness!"

Picard scoffed at Data's ramblings. "Commander, I want you to listen to yourself! You are trying to rationalize a fictional world. Its as if you've created your own holodeck, a place in your subconscious to escape too, a fantasy world is you will!"

Data quickly stood to his feet and Captain Picard immediately alerted security.

The android's voice grew louder with his agile state as he pointed an accusing finger toward the Captain.

"You _both _are trying to convince me that I have lost my sanity. But what you have neglected to understand is this - that one person you are using to render me helpless in this world, is the one who is giving me the little assurance I need to know that I am right."

He began shouting around the room, his frustrations mounting to the thought of some unknown alien watching from the sidelines. This was not his world, of that much he was certain.

"I lived with the loss of her death everyday of my life. I know every second, every minute, right down the very hour of how long I have been without her. It is etched within the confines of my memory."

Once again, Captain Picard tried to reason with him.

"Data, you have created a place in your mind where Tasha lives but the message she is trying to give you in those dreams is that she is no longer with you." He looked at the android sympathetically. "She hasn't been for quite some time and I think its time you let her go!"

Data remained defiant till the end, gritting his teeth from the stinging remark, as he forcibly shoved Geordi into the wall and in one quick motion, he was face to face with Picard. His anger completely blinding him to the security officers who were quickly on his heels.

He had only seconds to get his threat out as he stared down the man before him.

"I don't know who you are or where I am but _you_ are not my Captain -" Data waved his hand wildly around the room. "And _this_ is not my ship!"

Picard quickly took a step back as Worf placed his hand upon Data's lower back, hitting his off switch. The android quickly went limp as his body hit the floor with a hard thud.

"Place him in the brig where we can safely place him back online without the fear of him trying to harm anymore crew members."

The Captain demanded as Lieutenant Worf and a couple other security officers carried Data's stilled body from the ready room.

_**-x-x-x-x-x **_

_**Author's Notes: Alright, I got you guys all updated on the stories except for "If Only" which will probably be tomorrow. I've written three chapters today alone, so I need a little break for now. Hope you guys enjoy it and if so, leave a review and let me know. Thanks again!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**"Parallels" **_

_**Chapter 4 ~ "A Revelation"**_

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

He woke to the most amazing sensation. Every nerve upon his arm was on end as the woman beside him gently rubbed the length of his arm.

"Goodmornin!"

Data smiled at the sound of her voice and suddenly all the events that had just taken place within his dream dissipated. The tests conducted with Geordi, the argument with Picard and...Well, he couldn't quite remember what happened after that but as of now, it was of no concern to him.

"Good Morning Tasha."

"Did you sleep well?" Tasha asked as she continued sliding her fingers lightly up and down his arm. "No more nightmares I hope..."

He lightly shook his head, refusing to disclose the truth out of fear that she would continue to worry about him.

Tasha immediately stopped stroking his arm."Why do I feel like your not telling me the truth, Data?"

"I am fine, Tasha." He lightly shook his arm, as if a child beckoning his mother to resume petting him. The gesture was successful.

"You do know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Again, he nodded his head.

Tasha took in a deep breath, as she exhaled all too quickly. The agitation in her demeanor didn't go unnoticed by the android but he still refused to talk.

"Will you at least tell me what your thinking?" She asked a little annoyed.

"My thoughts simply consist of the sensations you are arousing within my arm. I find it fascinating and very relaxing."

Tasha smiled. "So you like it?"

"Very!"

She briefly paused only to resume her touch upon the side of his face, lightly stroking his cheek as she leaned in for a brief kiss.

Data was astonished by how sensitive his face was to her touch. He softly reached up to lay his hand over hers. Their fingers intertwined and Tasha slowly brought his hand up to her lips and just as quickly backed away as fear set in to Data's face.

"Data, what's wrong?"

"My skin..." He stared at his arms, mesmerized by the color. Quickly, he jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom with Tasha following close behind. Immediately, his hurried pace slowed to an abrupt stop as he saw his features in the mirror. "My face...it is not right!" The panic evident in his voice.

Tasha cautiously wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, trying desperately not to show her confusion. "Data, hun, your skin is as it should be and your face is just as handsome as ever!" She assured him.

The android was completely distraught. "No, it is not! My skin is made of Berrilium-Trioxide Composite materials, leaving my skin an alabaster color. I was in no way created to appear human. And yet, my systems have assimulated some type of change in my body. I must admit, I am perplexed by the timing of this design."

Tasha quickly turned him around to face her. Sternly, she voiced her thoughts. "Data, you _have _always appeared this way. There is nothing wrong with you. Your skin has always been lightly tanned, your eyes have always been blue, your hair has always been brown. _You _are _you_! This is the Data I have come to know and love. You may be an android but your father created you to appear human."

Confused, Data inquired. "But why?"

"You told me once that it was because he wanted you to fit in, to be accepted by society and the only way to accomplish that was to make you look human."

"That is not correct." Data argued. "Dr. Soong created me to appear different based solely on the purpose that I _was_ different...I am an android! I was a living, breathing testiment to his success and my appearance proved my individuality. You were misinformed!" He added matter-of -factly.

And just as quickly he brushed past her, again Tasha turned to follow him back into the bedroom.

Abruptly he turned on his heels, facing her with an accusatory tone. "Who are you?" He demanded.

The Chief of Security was taken back by the authority in his voice. It was brusque and straight to the point.

"Data why are acting this way?" She lightly reached out to touch his arm but he recoiled away.

"I require an explaination, Lieutenant?'

Tasha placed her hands on her hips. "Data we have been together for seven years, you know who I am!"

Angrily, he pointed his finger at her as he screamed his next statement. "_You _have been dead for seven years!"

"Well, if that's the case then how am I standing here talking to you, Data? How is it that we were able to make love no more than an hour ago if I am supposedly not living? Tell me, Data, how is it that I am right here and you still can't see me for who I am?" She shouted back.

Suddenly, a bright flash entered his consciousness as he found himself lying on the floor in a fetal position. His hair was in complete disarray, covering the side of his face. His state was a far cry from the meticulous android the crew had come to encounter on a day to day basis.

His body slightly lurched forward at the sound of the hard, masculine voice behind him.

"Commander Data?" The Klingon called.

Data still failed to react, his eyes silently taking in his surroundings and his positronic brain was trying to conclude why he was on the floor of the brig.

Again, Worf demanded the android's attention. "Commander Data rise to your feet!"

Slowly the android rolled around to face the stern, fierce tone, as he lightly brushed his hair back in place with his fingers.

Worf immediately took a step back the shock evident in his normally stoic face.

Quickly the Chief of Security hit his comm's badge. "Worf to Captain Picard!"

"Picard here..."

"Sir, I think there is something you need to see!"

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

_**Author's Notes: Sorry it's taken so long for me to update...I've been pretty sick here lately but I'm hoping to keep the stories updated a little more quickly now. Hope you guys liked it... **_**:)**_** I wanted to apologize ahead of time, if you find any mistakes you will have to overlook them. I tried to correct all that I could but it's hard to find them all when your a single mother of two. And I'm sure all you mothers out there know exactly what I'm talking about!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Parallels **_

_**Chapter 5 ~ "A Loss of Will"**_

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

Captain Picard stared apprehensively at the man who was now sitting in the brig. His shoulders were slumped, his hair in a complete disarray and his uniform wrinkled from his previous docile state upon the floor. To all those watching, he appeared to be a man who had just been rendered a devastating blow.

If the previous change of his eyes left him puzzled, then the transformation of his skin was now an even deeper enigma. The famous android, known for his sentient status, his unusual yellow eyes and alabaster skin was all but gone. For all intent and purposes, he lacked the appearance of a machine, although Dr. Crusher assured the Captain that he still was.

His second in command was now the epitome of an old, Earth folktale of a small wooden puppet boy named Pinocchio, whom was later granted his only wish to become a real boy. Data was Dr. Noonian Soong's Pinocchio, a machine caught in a grappling display of one eccentric's scientist mind, who apparently decided to play his last final act of superiority out for all the universe to see. It was yet another act to prove the cyberneticists ingenuity at the expense of such innocence.

"Data, how are you feeling?"

Data's eyes met the Captain's. "I am functioning within normal para..." The android paused taking a deep sigh of relief as he resigned himself to the truth. "I am tired, Sir!"

He didn't mean just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. He was exhausted from the parallels trapped inside his positronic net. He was not sure if an android could be committed or not to the institution, nor if one could endure the absence of one's reality however he knew that he was close to both. He was so close to calling himself insane, another mirrored image of his brother Lore, after all that has happened it was the only logical explanation.

"Then stop this pretense, Data! It has gone on long enough..."

The pair glared at one another, the Captain's words stinging him to his very core.

Immediately agitated, Data stood to his feet. "Are you suggesting that I am responsible for all of this?"

Worf took a brief step beside Picard, a secure stance that got it's point across to Data the he was there to protect the Captain at all costs, even if the odds were against him.

The Captain brazenly jerked the front of his uniform down, as his shoulders squared against the android on the other side of the force field.

"I am not accusing you of the changes taking place to your body, I am accusing you of insubordination...Conduct that is unbecoming to one of the Federation's most decorated officers. I have no idea what is taking place with you nor am I in the least bit aware as to why you keep accusing everyone around you for your status."

Both men outside the force field jumped as Data slammed his hand against the wall of the brig, leaving a notable dent upon its surface.

"Then find out what is wrong with me!" The android pleaded. "I cannot conceive a logical prognosis. One moment I am with Tasha and then I am on the Enterprise again. I am bewildered as to what reality is real to me. But this..." He pointed to his newly organic skin upon his arm and then to his blue eyes. "Is taking place in both scenarios."

"Dammit Data, I have already told you that Tasha has been dead for quite some time now...If you wish to let her memory subdue your frantic state then so be it!"

Ignoring his latter statement, the android argued back, interrupting Picard. "I am aware of this Captain...In this universe she is but in the one that I am able to travel to..." Data touched his chest to emphasize his sincerity. "She is as real to me as you are standing there."

"And your frustration over this lack of _not-knowing_ is driving you to this irrational behavior." The Captain spat back.

Data took a small step closer to the force field that separated him from Captain Picard and his Chief of Security. His desperation was evident in his voice. "Please help me, Captain. I do not know what is real anymore!"

The Captain shared a brief look with Worf as he too, took a step closer to the force field. The move left the two men mere meters apart.

Picard's eyes narrowed as he tauntingly shook his head back and forth. "My dear Mr. Data, why must you fight us?"

Confusion creased the organic features of the android's face, along with a mixture of what Worf detected as none other than fear.

"I do not understand..."

"Well..." Picard turned back to share another knowing look with Worf. "I believe the Lieutenant and I would agree that this _process _would go much more smoothly if you stop this incessant struggle."

Data began to back away from the force field in horror, as Picard smirked sadistically. "What process?"

The Captain snorted a small laugh at his question. "You see, Data..." He wagged his finger at the android, as if reprimanding a child. "You are far too inquisitive for your own good. Sometimes it is better to just let things... happen!"

"You are suggesting that I lose my will to stop whatever it is you are attempting to complete within me..."

Picard smirked as Worf took a swift, deafening step closer to Data.

The Klingon snarled the gut-wrenching words at their prisoner. "Resistance is futile!"

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

_**Author's Notes: Here's just a quick update for "Parallels"...I figured I better write it while the muse was hitting me...Hope you guys like it and I believe this chapter may clear up a lot of notions about what is really going on. Then again, maybe not! **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Parallels **_

_**Chapter 6 ~ "The Truth Comes Out"**_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Data backed up against the wall of the brig, sliding down the length of it as the two men exited. He was frantically shaking his head back and forth.

Worf's last words suddenly bringing him back to reality. Everything was beginning to make sense but how? How did he get here? It's been years since their presence has ever been made known, leaving the Federation to believe that they were on a verge of extinction.

His surroundings slowly began to dissolve around him like a holodeck program. He was attached securely to a bio-bed, as his eyes fleetingly searched his surroundings.

"Are you ready?"

Data cautiously looked around. "Who are you?"

The unknown female voice spoke again. "I am the Borg!"

The Borg Queen's head and shoulders slowly begin to descend from the ceiling of the Borg ship.

"That is a contradiction. The Borg has a Collective consciousness. They are no individuals." Data announced.

"I am the beginning...the end...the one who is many..." Her head and shoulders locked into a cybernetic body as she approached Data. "I am Borg."

The android was intrigued. "Greetings...I am curious, do you control the Borg Collective?"

She stalked around the android. "You imply disparity where none exists. I am the Collective".

Data thought again. "Perhaps I should rephrase the question. I wish to understand the organizational relationship. Are you their leader?"

"I bring order to chaos."

"An interesting, if cryptic response." Data answered as he continued to watch her as she encircled him.

"You are in chaos, Data. You are the contradiction. A machine who wishes to be human."

"As you seem to know so much about me, you must be aware that I am programmed to evolve and better myself."

The Borg Queen smiled at his response. "We too are on a quest to better ourselves. Evolving toward a state of perfection."

"Forgive me. The Borg do not evolve. They conquer." Data corrected her biased view of the collective.

The Queen easily explained their treachery away. "By assimilating other beings into our Collective, we are bringing them closer to perfection."

The doubt was evident on Data's features. "Somehow I question your motives."

The Queen immediately stopped walking as she leaned in closely to Data's face.

"That is because you haven't been properly ...stimulated yet." She moved down, lightly blowing upon the exposed organic skin that now covered his arm.

"Heh, heh, heh. You have reactivated my emotion chip. ...Why?"

The Queen smiled at his response. "Don't be frightened."

"I am not frightened." He lied.

Softly stroking his face, she asked. "Do you know what this is, Data?"

He knew she was referring to the sensations stirring within him due to the organic skin. She wanted to be publicly praised for what they had accomplished while he was unconscious.

Slightly nodding his head. "It appears that you have grafted organic skin onto my endoskeletal structure." Data answered.

The Queen was obviously insulted. "What a cold description for such a beautiful gift."

She continued to stroke his face, stirring stronger sensations within him.

"Was that good for you?" She whispered softly. "I am sure it was...considering the focus of your latest dreams."

Data cocked his head to the side. "How do you know of my dreams?"

Once again she began stalking around the bio-bed, taunting him as she did so. "Dreams can be so fickle, wouldn't you say, Data? So easy to subdue, bend or shall I say...manipulate!" She smirked almost sadistically as she continued to explain. "All you have to do is find what that person desire's most and implement that desire into their dreams. It really makes the person more...biddable."

Data whispered the woman's name softly, as her face suddenly came to his mind. "Tasha..."

"Yes, Data. Don't act so surprised that we would capitalize on your weakness. Although I must admit, your will was stronger than we anticipated."

"Is that why my unconsciousness kept propelling from one realm to another?"

The queen completely ignored his question. "Do you always talk this much?" She asked a little annoyed.

Data raised his eyebrows at her bluntness. "Not always, ...but often."

"Why do you insist on utilizing this primitive linguistic communication? Your android brain is capable of so much more."

Data mocked her inability to remember his quest. "Have you forgotten? I am endeavoring to become more human."

Her face scrunched up and her lips spat the word as if it was so distasteful. "Human! We used to be exactly like them. Flawed, weak, organic, but we evolved to include the synthetic. Now we use both to attain perfection. Your goal should be the same as ours."

It was Data's turn to snarl back, his words hitting her were it hurt. "Believing oneself to be perfect is often the sign of a delusional mind."

"Small words, from a small being, trying to attack what he doesn't understand."

Data glared at the Queen, making his superiority clear. "I understand that you have no real interest in me. That your goal is to obtain Locutus, that is why Picard was so prevalent throughout my dreams. While I was dreaming about Tasha, you were subconsciously leaking your desire's as well."

The Queen smiled at the mention of his name. "That is one of our goals, one of many. But in order to reach it I was willing to help you reach yours."

Data watches as a drone walks up, removing the restraint around his arm to scan the newly grafted skin. As the restraint began to close back, Data swiftly removed his arm out of it's path.

A quick thrust sent the drone flying backwards. Quickly, he tapped in the security code to free himself, as all the restraints opened successfully. Immediately he runs off the up turned bio-bed, using his arm to tackle one approaching Borg backwards over a railing, another one he throws effortlessly back as three more began to corner him.

Overwhelmed, Data began scanning around him processing his next move. A drone with a claw arm reached up and as Data raised his arm to block the blow, he hollered out in pain. Now cradling the newly applied flesh upon his arm, as blood oozed from the wounds.

The Queen seemed almost bored by his fruitless efforts. "Is it becoming clear to you yet? Look at yourself, standing there cradling the new flesh that I've given you. If it means nothing to you, why protect it?"

"I ...I am simply imitating the behavior of humans."

She rolled her eyes at his feeble response. "You're becoming more human all the time. Now you're learning how to lie."

"My programming was not designed to process these sensations." Data admitted desperately.

"Then tear the skin from your limbs as you would a defective circuit. ...Go ahead, Data. We won't stop you. ...Do it. Don't be tempted by flesh. ..."

Data hesitated as he slowly dug his nails into the organic skin, the pressure causing more blood to slowly make its way to the surface.

Frustrated, Data glared at the Borq Queen. "I simply cannot rip the flesh off of my entire body. You have replaced all traces of my synthetic skin." He argued.

"Yes but for good reason."

Data did not question her motives, he merely cocked his head to the side instead.

"I am afraid you will have to forgive us for interrupting your vacation..." She turned to face him, her eyes pinning his. "Mother will have to wait."

"How did you know of my coordinates?"

She scoffed a laugh. "How you so easily forget, I know everything, Data... I am Borg!"

"Why have you kidnapped me?" Data demanded.

"You are hardly in a position to make such requisitions...But since you asked...We require your assistance, Data."

Again, the android eyed her suspiciously.

She pressed a button on the console closest to her, as a planet came into view on the ship's screen. "Do you recognize it, Data?"

Both individuals stared at the blue sphere that dominated the screen.

"Yes, it is Earth!" He answered rather matter-of-fact.

"You are partly correct."

Data looked at her confused.

"It's Earth twenty-nine years ago, Data." She announced proudly.

The Queen turned swiftly to face him. "This is where you come into play. Locutus was a failure due to his resistance to the Collective. But twenty-nine years ago, his determination had slowly withered away."

Data immediately scanned his files. The information quickly came to his disposal. "You are estimating that the Captain's trial for court-martial placed him in an emotional condition."

The female drone smiled. "Yes, Locutus was in a more vulnerable state then. He had forfeited his will to fight due to the loss of his ship and his career. In this time he will be more...attainable to us."

Data could easily read between the lines. "And you plan on using me to deliver him back into the Collective?"

"It is the arrant plan."

"There is but one flaw..." The Queen was obviously bewildered. "You underestimate the power of one's will to survive."

Her words dripped with contempt. "What is the drive behind one's will, Data? And yet it can be so easily broken...You humans are so mutable, so..._defenseless_ when it comes to those you love." She pointed at his new transformation. "Why do you think it was so easy for us to graft the organic skin to your body."

She immediately pounced on him, her face mere inches from his. "Because you were rendered helpless by memories of those you love. Seeing Tasha in your dreams had abolished your strength to fight us because you were enthralled by the one you have always loved, Data. And you are a machine...She scoffed at his appearance. "I expected much more from you, why you are far more superior than them...Locutus will be just as docile."

"It will not work. The Captain will not recognize me."

"That's what I'm hoping, Data. Why do you think we went through the trouble of making you appear more human."

"Then you expect me to befriend him as a fellow officer."

She rolled her eyes at his nonsense. "No, you imbecile. Is it not standard procedure for the Captain to endure a mental evaluation before he is allowed to stand trial. It would seem that the events at hand have him a little...off balance!"

"I still do not understand."

"_You _will be the one to examine him. You hold expertise in major fields such as psychology, your father was a scientist who held a doctorial degree in cybernetics. A very famous father I might add, I was certain the Federation would still remember him, considering it has only been ten years since he disappeared. I am certain they will be quite eager to find out what become of him."

Data quickly noted the age difference. "I am too young to portray my father."

The Borg gritted her teeth in frustration. "That is why you will be portraying his son, Data."

"But I am already his son!" The android protested.

The Queen glowered down at the man in front of her, gathering all the strength she could muster against her desire to deactivate him now. "His biological son, Data. I've even taken the liberty of finding you an alias."

Data's head tilted to the side curiously.

"You will introduce yourself as Dr. Daystrom Soong. The Federation Council is already aware of your arrival to Earth and have made numerous requests for your assistance."

"They will question the authenticity of my claims." Data admitted.

"We have already proved it by relaying your DNA sequence back to them, along with a vile of your blood. Their doubts have been placed to rest."

"What if I refuse?"

The Queen's lip began to snarl up. "Then we will not be as humane in removing your skin as we were in applying it...and I assure you that even your beloved Enterprise will hear the echo's of your screams twenty-nine light years later."

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Author's Notes: Just to let you all know I am not staying completely true to the script of "First Contact" so if you wanna deem this story AU, that's fine by me. Although I did use some of the dialogue between the Borq Queen and Data in this chapter, none of which is original to me. So I am not the authentic writer of it, so don't sue me!


	7. Chapter 7

_**"Parallels"**_

_**Chapter 7 - "Introducing Dr. Daystrom Soong"**_

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

Admiral McGeorge Finnegan stared at the young man sitting across from him in awe. He was well acquainted with Noonian Soong years back while attending the Academy. The doctor was much younger then and was just beginning to make a name for himself in the field of cybernetics. But the man before him, not just any man but the famous doctor's son at that, was basically a Doppelganger of the eccentric scientist.

The young Dr. Daystrom Soong was apparently looking to clear his family's name by achieving what his father had failed to do. Although the Federation requested his expertise on a much different matter the man claimed to want to follow in his father's footsteps, which only intrigued the council more.

"Tell me Dr. Soong..." The name felt almost quaint falling from his lips. "Are you familiar with a Captain Jean Luc Picard?" The Admiral inquired.

Data quickly responded. "I believe he is in command of the Stargazer."

"Was..." The Admiral corrected.

Data merely remained quiet.

"One of the main reasons we were so...eager to speak with you was because your records show that most of your expertise lies within psychology. We need a man like you, of your caliber, to analyze one of Starfleet's most respected Captain's."

The Admiral opened the computer interface reading aloud from the log. "Due to the loss of any ship, immediate proceedings for court-martial will follow upon it's Captain."

"So you wish for me to gauge the patient's interpersonal behavior and emotional processes?"

"Exactly!" The Admiral gleamed at the prospect of Picard undertaking such an evaluation. "We need to know exactly what the Captain was thinking when he decided to abandon the ship."

"I will be able to relay that information back to you after his interviewing process is complete." Data relayed with confidence.

The Admiral smirked. "Good...Lieutenant Sanchez will see you to your quarters. We would like for the evaluating process to begin tomorrow morning."

Data nodded his head as he stood from his chair to leave.

"Oh...and Dr. Soong, before I forget." The Admiral held a finger up in thought as he paused a moment. "This isn't exactly confidential anymore considering the prisoners were returned to us yesterday but..."

He remained silent for a moment as if trying to find the right words. Data just merely stared at the man, with his brows raised high from curiosity.

"I am sure you have heard of the Enterprise's fate?"

It wasn't a statement, it was more of a question but Data's bewildered look gave the Admiral the only answer he needed.

"About a month ago the Enterprise responded to a distress call from a Klingon Outpost on Narendra III, which was under attack by the Romulan Star Empire. When the Enterprise arrived at the outpost, she was engaged by four Romulan warbirds. She was ultimately destroyed. The Federation was under the impression that all hands had died on board, until recently..."

Data remained silent, unsure of the revelation.

"We discovered weeks after the destruction of the ship that their were survivors whom were being held hostage by the Romulan Empire. They were a total of ten in all. Once this information was relayed to us, we immediately began negotiations with the Romulans for the release of our officers. After a long debate, we finally reached an exchange agreement. Luckily for us, the Klingons held some of the Empire's top officials and due to the Enterprise's self-sacrifice they were willing to exchange those officials for ours as an expression of gratitude."

"And you wish for me to evaluate the prisoners as well?" Data softly inquired.

The Admiral merely nodded. "We need to gain insight on the extent of the Romulans brutality toward the captives before we reinstate the officers. But there is one in particular that has caught the eye of the council. The officer is making outlandish claims and seems to be experiencing some sort of a mental breakdown. I am told that this Lieutenant experienced the brunt of the Empires cruelty. Apparently wild accusations are being thrown around about whom this person is and where they came from. We need you to get to the bottom of this matter. They too, will be escorted to your office tomorrow morning."

Data simply nodded in understanding as he turned once again to leave.

"Oh and Doctor...their are rumors of rape that accompany this officer. I'm afraid you may have some trouble out of her."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Author's Notes: Just a quick update for Parallels...I realize the Chapter isn't that long but I promise to update with a longer Chapter tomorrow! Reviews are appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

_**Parallels **_

_**Chapter 8 "It's You"**_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

The younger Captain shrugged his shoulders defiantly. "So...do I just sit here and let you dissect my mind?"

Data smirked slightly at his resistance toward the process and he didn't much blame him. "No, we will mainly be delving into cognitive characteristics, measure personality traits, as well as emotional responses to life circumstances from childhood into adulthood."

Picard furrowed his brows in confusion. "I thought I was here so you could analyze how I lost my ship!" The Captain said bitterly.

"That answer will come in time..." Data smiled softly. "Its a slow process."

"I don't have time to go through my whole childhood with you nor would I desire to do so."

Data nodded slightly. "Then where would you like to start, Jean Luc?" The name felt odd falling from his lips.

The man sat silent for a moment, contemplating his question.

"I would like to know why I am standing trial over a situation that was completely unavoidable?"

Data stared at the man, waiting...

"And I would also like to know why the Federation was so eager to charge me upon my return?"

"Sounds like bitterness?"

The Captain slightly leaned forward, pressing his hands into his knees. "Your damn right I'm bitter!"

"As you should be!"

The Captain stared at the Doctor for a moment, taken back by his accordance. He slowly sat back once more into his chair.

Silence seemed to dominate the room till finally the Captain chose to speak.

"Six months ago I lost my best friend..." Data listened intently as the Picard's eyes began taking on a distant look, as he recalled the memory. "The Stargazer encountered a Nensi phenomenon, which crippled the ship and caused a dangerous energy build-up in the starboard warp nacelle. Jack and Lieutenant Peter Joseph both volunteered to go outside the ship to detach the nacelle with phaser rifles..." The Captain paused a moment as his voice began trembling, clearing his throat he was able to regain his composure. "In the course of this operation, Crusher was caught in an explosion, although he was successful in cutting the nacelle free." His voice took a darker tone. "Joseph panicked and left Jack alone, he feigned going into unconsciousness when he saw me on my way to retrieve them both..." Suddenly Picard slammed his hand on the side of the chair, startling Data. The tears he was trying so desperately to keep at bay slowly began threatening to fall. "The time I spent trying to save this officer whom was faking his condition, could have been spent saving the one who was really in distress. If I had just kept on going, its possible that I could have saved him!"

Data's soft voice, interrupted the cries of the Captain's. "It is plausible that he was deceased before you reached Lieutenant Joseph. I believe both men would have ultimately been overcame by the energy cycling in the nacelle if the Lieutenant had not abandoned his duties. Therefore leaving me to believe that your friend's death was that of self-sacrifice for his Captain and ship. I am certain he was aware of the dangers before undertaking such an endeavor."

"Somehow your analytical view doesn't make me feel any better."

"My apologies, I was merely stating the obvious."

Picard smirked slightly. "And what's that?"

"That the death of your friend was not due to your negligence."

All Data heard was a faint grunt from the officer.

"Do you believe that your friends death affected your judgement the day the Stargazer was lost?" Picard raised one eyebrow suspiciously. "Perhaps you were determined to save all hands, sacrificing your ship in place of the crew?"

The man gritted his teeth as he answered honestly. "A ship can be replaced, Dr. Soong. Lives can not!"

His remark haunted Data. Especially since he was aware of the destiny Picard was facing. One life for the lives of billions. It was an easy equation to solve, although the remorse for such a decision would not be so easily to dissolve. Locutus for Earth! That was ultimately the Borg's offer, like Data had much choice in the matter. He was the one being blackmailed to place the plan into motion. He shivered at the fate he would be handing this man over too.

Data immediately stood to his feet, obviously shaken. "I believe we are out of time, Jean Luc."

The Captain watched the doctor equivocally. He was unsure of what caused the sudden halt to the session but was slightly relieved nonetheless. He found that bearing his soul was an..._unpleasant _process!

The doctor hastily walked him to the door, obviously rushing him out of the office.

"We will continue a little further tomorrow." Data assured him.

As Picard left Data turned back around, walking over to his desk as he took a seat, turning his back purposely from the doors in case of any unexpected visitors. He quietly laid his head within his hands, his palms roughly covering his eyes as he fought the tears back. He roughly ran his hand through his hair, disheveling the tamed look it had beforehand.

His conscious was getting the better of him. He had to find a way to contact the _Enterprise, _although he wasn't quite sure how.

"Excuse me..." The soft feminine voice inquired. "This is Dr. Song's office?"

Data raised his head, desperately looking for a diversion, anything to make it look like he wasn't crying. Thankfully he noticed the book, as he quickly wiped his eyes. He was completely caught off guard, he didn't even hear the woman enter.

"Um, no..." He responded as he grabbed the book, placing it back into its library as his back still remained toward the intruder.

"But if you are referring to Dr. Soong, then you are at the right place." He offered.

"Yeah, well, maybe that was it. All I know is I'm suppose to be evaluated for something." The resentment evident in her voice.

"Please take a seat, I will be with you in just one moment."

Instead the woman chose to walk around the room, staring at the pictures and plaques that littered his wall. None of him of course or his father but mainly of famous Starfleet Officials and the ships they commanded.

He turned to face the woman as he walked around the desk, his pace slowed tremendously as he was taken back by the short blonde hair of the petite woman. A single vision of Tasha entered his thoughts as he silently shook his head, pushing the intrusion from his mind.

"I don't know if you are aware of the process involved but I will mainly be conducting behavioral and emotional assessments of your life. We will be covering a wide range of varieties as we delve into the psyche of..."

The woman turned to face him as his words trailed off into oblivion. And for the first time in seven years, he experienced a lapse in his programming. His brain unable to recover the process of his words or thoughts. He stood there like some hormonal teenager who was experiencing his first crush. All was silent as his blue eyes pierced into hers.

He was so lost in _who _this woman was that he was completely unaware of her own response to him. Her eyes went wide with acknowledgement, her mouth dropped from the recognition of whom he looked like as well. And that one word confirmed all her growing suspicions, as it floated off the most beautiful, delicate lips he has ever been entranced by.

"Data?"

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

_**Author's Notes: Here's the update like I promised! I'm sure you all know who the woman is of course...I hope you all enjoyed it!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Parallels

Chapter 9 - "Hell Incarnate"

-x-x-x-x-

Data stood completely immobilized, entranced by his name falling from her lips. He was not only placed in an inconceivable position by the Borg Queen but now he was being faced with the unthinkable. A woman, whom was supposed to have been dead for seven years, now stood before him alive and well. She was an enigma to him. He watched her die, attended her memorial service. He was even present at her burial into space and yet there she stood.

Data closed his eyes tightly, almost certain he was experiencing a malfunction in his neural net. He ran a quick diagnostics and hesitantly opened his eyes._ Damn_...she was still there, staring at him as if he had grown another head.

"Huh?." was all he could manage.

_'Great!'_ Data thought. _'I can perform a trillion task per second and the moment I am faced with Tasha Yar the only word I can vocalize is, "Huh!'_

Yes, he knew that when he had installed the emotion chip that feelings existed for a certain Lieutenant who had enraptured his full attention by just one night. It was a curse really, perhaps a little preposterous, that an android could be so easily overtaken by such a fragile creature. She had haunted his every waking thought since that night and her harsh words had been an echo of what could never be from the moment she spoke them. An unspoken promise that he never verbally agreed too but did so out of respect and admiration for the woman who had blessed him with such an experience.

And now, she was Hell Incarnate: a reminder of all of his deepest regrets, and the symbol of his deepest desires he did not welcome. He didn't have time to be dealing with this now. Of all times for her to make an appearance back into his life, why did she have to choose now. And how in the hell did she get almost thirty years in the past? She wasn't suppose to be here! According to his memory banks she was suppose to be a child on Turkana IV, not a prisoner of war.

Data's eyes widened in horror as the woman began walking toward him. He was unable to will himself to move, as she opened her arms in surprise and engulfed him in a desperate embrace. One that held all the emotions of someone who had lost everything and now had regained some semblance of their former life. And she found that reminder in him. Tasha held him tight and never questioned his awkward pause in returning the embrace.

His arms slowly moved around her waist, his hands sliding along every inch of her, only to stop at her lower back. He relished every moment of it and for a second he wondered if he was back on board the Borg ship, dreaming again. The sensation of her arms tightening the embrace laid all his doubts to rest about the reality of this world. He knew she was real!

"You have no idea how much I have missed you..." She whispered in his ear and he could hear the tears in her voice.

Suddenly, he hated himself for what he was about to do but it was the only way to protect her. Despite her emotional condition, her mental state for all she had endured he would unfortunately have to use all of that to his advantage, if his lie was going to be believed. This would be the real test...Did she know him as well as he thought she did? Hopefully not!

He softly reached up, untangling her arms from around his neck, as he began backing out of the embrace. Tasha watched in bewilderment as he silently mouthed an apology for what she thought was an untimely hug. But she was wrong, he was apologizing for much more than that.

"I am sorry..." His eyes looked almost distant, as if trying to remember. "Do I know you?"

The denial hurt her more than he intended.

She was flabbergasted by his question, so much so that she looked as if the wind had been sucked right out of her.

_"Do you know me?!"_ She mocked incredulously.

Data still feigned ignorance.

Tasha motioned between the two of them. "We worked together on the Enterprise...I was Chief of Security and you were the Operations Officer." Data still held that obliviousness about him as he listened to her arguments. "We were in the war together!" She finally testified.

Data softly shook his head from side to side. "There is no war!" He confirmed.

"Well, not now but there was!" She defended. "It's one of the reasons I went back with the Enterprise C...Guinan told me that I died a meaningless death in the other timeline and that I didn't belong..." Tasha desperately placed her hands on his shoulders as she continued on. "If I was going to die, I wanted my death to mean something! So I left to fight with the Enterprise C, fully expecting to die...but I didn't." She paused a moment, her eyes pleading with his. "Data, you gotta believe me!"

Data slowly broke away from her again as he turned his back to her, pretending to re-maneuver items on his desk. But the truth was, he was suddenly overwhelmed by intense nausea. This was affecting him more than he had initially anticipated and the idea of what he was about to do made him quite sick to his stomach.

"In my studies I have found that when someone has endured intense trauma, whether it be physical or mental, they tend to blur the lines between what is reality and what is not." Data concluded.

"Data, I'm not some mental case...yeah, I went through hell but I know who you are!"

He turned back around to face her, pushing the urge to vomit back down. "That is precisely what I am referring too."

Tasha snapped her head back in shock, stunned by his words. "Are you saying that I don't know who you are?"

Without missing a beat, Data continued on. "I am saying that I may resemble this man you speak of, therefore you are trying to associate something familiar with your surroundings. You are in a different environment..." He raised his eyebrows in doubt. "A different timeline? So naturally your mind would be desperate to associate with something from your past. You are suggesting that I am that something!"

"I'm not_ suggesting_ anything, I know!"

Data decided to appease her. "Fine, then who am I?"

Again, Tasha looked confused. She ran her hands through her hair, completely frustrated with the line of questioning.

"You are an android, created by Dr. Noonian Soong. You were assembled on Omicron Theta after the Crystalline Entity attacked your colony, completely wiping everyone out. You were all that was left. Shortly after Starfleet rescued you, you joined the Academy and graduated in four years to the U.S.S. Trieste and then later on to the Enterprise D."

Data slightly laughed but Tasha was not amused.

He waved his hand at his body. "I am sorry but have you noticed that I am human. I am not a machine."

She still wasn't deterred by the claim. "Well, I admit you do look human but I thought it was because of Q...He was always harassing you about allowing him to grant you your desire to become human..." Tasha shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I thought maybe you finally gave in."

Data simply stared at her. Moments passed before he could bring himself back into the task at hand. He chose to ignore her comment as he introduced himself.

He placed his hand out, waiting for her to take it. "I am Dr. Daystrom Soong. A relative of the 'missing in action' Dr. Noonian Soong."

Tasha faltered a moment before taking his hand in hers and shaking it firmly. Her eyes never leaving his as a small, slow smirk began to form at the corners of her lips. She was calling his bluff.

"Really..." Tasha said in disbelief. She held her hands up in the air as she made a gesture of quotation marks. "A '_relative'_?"

"Yes!"

"What? A distant relative or closely related?"

"Close..." Data answered shortly, ever careful to keep his guard up.

"How so?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Tasha began stalking around him, as if interrogating him. He found the nuisance quite unpleasant.

"_How_ are you closely related to him? Are you a cousin, brother..." Her eyes pierced his and she stopped her verbal assault directly in front of him. "_Son_?" Tasha's eyebrows raised in question.

Data couldn't help but notice how her eyes lit up.

He stalked off, brushing past her as he walked in front of the couch. His hand irritatingly making a gesture for her to sit down. Tasha chuckled lightly as she calmly walked over to where he was and slowly, without breaking eye contact, sat down. The smile that was now plastered all over her face never leaving her lips nor her eyes.

This was definitely not going the way he had planned.

Data quietly walked over, resisting the urge to roll his eyes, as he took a seat in the chair opposite of her.

His eyes continued to glare into hers and suddenly he had the desire to kiss that smug look off her face.

He tried desperately not to grit his teeth as he answered her imposing question. "Son..."

She crossed her legs, the skepticism never leaving her face. "Really...I don't recall any records making such a claim. In fact, Noonian Soong never married. The only sons he had were androids...One named Data and a temperamental little ass named Lore. He never had any biological children."

"Yes, well if I recall correctly, they are no records of a Natasha Yar either."

"That's because I'm not supposed to be here...The Federation wasn't expecting me!" She argued.

"Neither am I...Daddy was not expecting me either!" He snapped back.

Data soon found himself annoyed by the whole aspect of this...Natasha Yar! He was quickly getting over his enchantment of her. In fact, he found her quite defiant and irriatating.

The woman slowly leaned forward, placing her hands within her lap. Her eyes still penetrating his. The tension was thick and unpalatable.

"Use a contraction!" She demanded.

Data finally gave into the urge and rolled his eyes.

"I believe this charade has gone on long enough...The session is over!"

He abruptly stood up from his chair, making his way toward the doors, waiting.

A few moments of silence passed before she relented. Data refused to meet her eyes but he could feel her gaze burning into him as her steps came closer.

He's not sure what made him do it. Maybe it was the need to know, a confirmation to what he had longed hoped or maybe it was a fear from the possibility of never seeing her again. Either way, his hand reached out of it's own volition for her arm, stopping her from leaving. He slowly, steadily leaned his body against the wall as he moved in closer to her space. His thumb mindlessly rubbing the material beneath it.

"Why are you so determined for me to be this man?"

She only answered with another question. "Why are you so determined not to be?"

If she wanted to hear it, then he would give it to her. His resolve had left him defenseless, he would beseech her, give her what she wanted to hear.

"Please...Indulge me!" He whispered.

It was a mistake, the action caused him to risk another look her way. Their eyes locked and the air suddenly became very heavy. The attraction dangerously evident.

Her voice was low and soft to his ears. So soft it made his heart ache. "Have you ever made a life altering decision, only to realize you never knew what you had till it was gone."

Her words interrupted his breathing mechanism, literally stealing his breath from him. All Data could do was slowly nod his head up and down, verifying a truth that was made known to him the moment he installed his emotions chip. The truth being that he had loved her all along but it was too late! And now, here she was!

It was a cruel sick joke. Here she stood less than inches from him and all he could do was pretend to be something he was not. He couldn't kiss her, couldn't hold her, he couldn't do all the things the flesh of his body was screaming at him to do. In that moment, all he wanted was her. Damn Locutus, damn the Borg Queen and damn the Federation! He wanted nothing but her!

But of course he would obey, he would relent to higher powers and he would let her walk away...again! All he had to do was keep reminding himself that it was for her. She would get to live the life that she had been denied for so long, even if it wasn't with him. He would make sure she got that chance. For now, he would continue the pretense and when the time was right, he would deliver Locutus.

Her words brought him back to reality. "But that's something we can talk about another time, Dr. Soong."

Data hated the sound of that name on her lips and without hesitation, the daunting question came from his lips.

"Is this android the mistake that you let go?"

Tasha quickly looked down, his question obviously hitting a nerve. And then, after a deep, long breath she raised her eyes back to his blue ones. Suddenly, he became aware of just how close she really was, as he slowly released her arm and leaned back against the wall.

"It doesn't matter anymore, its like you said, he's not here..." she confirmed before walking out the door.

**-x-x-x-x-x- **

**Author's Notes: Not exactly sure where I'm going with this but I guess you guys are watching it unfold just as I am...Hopefully you like it so far!**


	10. A Time to Talk

_**"Parallels"**_

_**Chapter 10 –"A Time to Talk"**_

"_**And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." - John 8:32**_

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Data sat outside in the Japanese garden that was located on campus, giving him a breath-taking view of the golden-gate bridge and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. He had spotted Tasha about five minutes ago sitting under a tree, in what appeared to be deep concentration. Data watched helplessly as she plucked one flower after another from the ground, roughly removing the pedals one by one and tossing them aside. The sight was rather amusing even to an android.

He wasn't spying on her; he was merely bathing in her presence as long as he possibly could. He analyzed her interactions which he noted was limited. The knowledge brought a sense of relief to him, why, he wasn't sure. But if he were to suspect, it was because he still hoped to assemble some type of a relationship with her, even if it was based on false pretenses.

To others it may seem desperate but he had gone eight years without touching her, seeing her, kissing her. And yes, given the opportunity fate had handed him he selfishly planned on taking it, even at the risk of rousing the wrath of the Borg Queen.

For so long, she had been such a distant, unattainable dream to him, evading the realities of his world. And now, all he had to do is look across the garden, and there she was! She was a tad bit thinner and he speculated that it was from her maltreatment by the hands of the Romulans. Her hair was a little longer than the last time he saw her, but to him she was just as beautiful nonetheless.

His attention got diverted for a brief moment as some cadets began rejoicing over being commissioned as ensigns after passing their final exams. He smiled faintly at the sight, although his memory of being commissioned was not as welcoming, simply because he had no one to share the achievement with. Data turned his attention back to where Tasha was sitting only to find her gone. His eyes began drastically scanning the area in hopes of one last glimpse of her but to no avail.

"Are you spying on me?" The feminine voice asked from behind him.

He turned to see the elusive woman standing there watching him intently, her eyes questioning his motives.

"No." He whispered.

Tasha walked around the bench with a small, smug look upon her face.

"Oh, well maybe I should rephrase the question then…." She arched an eyebrow as she looked at him. "Since you're a doctor I suppose I should speak in your terminology, right? Let's see…." She began tapping her finger against her chin and the action enchanted the man beside her. "Are you analyzing your patient in her natural habitat to see how they respond to being misplaced by time?"

"You mean to see how you are coping with being placed almost thirty years in the past?"

Tasha nodded her head.

"Well, that depends…."

"On what… You watching me or on how I'm dealing emotionally?"

Data nodded over toward the tree that was now littered with stems of pedal-less flowers.

"Considering the ruthlessness I just witnessed being forced upon those poor flowers, I suppose your coping mechanism leaves a lot to be desired. I almost panicked when that dragon-fly landed beside you out of pure fear that he would endure the same fate."

Tasha narrowed her eyes at his faint attempt at humor. "I refuse to harm any animals!"

"I see… Just flowers then?"

He could see that she was trying desperately to suppress a smile. "What are you… a tree-hugger?"

Data snapped his head back in shock. "I do not recall hugging any trees."

Tasha laughed. "No, I mean are you an environmentalist?"

"No…It is of no concern to me that you have practically uprooted every flower within a ten mile radius of your location."

It was an exaggeration, one that granted him the smile he hoped to gain.

"So tell me, where did you get your sense of humor from, doctor?"

He shrugged his shoulders in return. "I suppose my father."

"I had no idea Dr. Soong possessed such an amusing personality."

"Oh yeah, he was riot!"

Tasha continued to smile, her eyes sparkling as she held his.

"And your mother…. What about her?"

"She's the strong one…very artistic, meticulous and selfless. She is a very lovely woman."

"What's her name, if you don't mind me asking?" Tasha asked quietly.

"Juliana." He answered softly.

Data chanced a look in her direction as silence fell between them.

"What about you?"

Tasha was a little taken back by the question. "Oh, you mean my family."

Of course he already knew the fate of her family but he did have to keep up the pretense of being completely oblivious to her past.

He simply nodded his answer.

She shrugged her shoulders, unsure of how much of her life she wanted to reveal. Finally, she answered him.

"I never really knew my parents….they was killed shortly after my sister was born."

"I am sorry." Data whispered softly, his heart suddenly feeling the remorse that was lacking the night that she had disclosed her past to him, the very night she seduced him.

The memory sent shivers down his spine and he had to briefly shake his head to ban the thought from his memory banks. Luckily, Tasha didn't notice the flounder as she continued talking.

"The crew of the Enterprise was the closest thing to a family that I had….I was particularly close to you…." She looked down, cleared her throat and quickly glanced back to correct herself. "I mean to Commander Data."

He immediately froze, partly from the mentioning of his name falling from her lips but mostly from the affection that had accompanied it in her voice. Data's eyes pierced hers, a silent challenge for her to break the moment, merely because he lacked the courage to do so.

And suddenly the vast, liberating beauty of the outdoors was slowly constricting around him as their eyes continued to hold their gaze. The only noise that followed was the silent breeze coming from the ocean in the distance.

He tried desperately to muster up the valor to tear his eyes from hers, and if it hadn't been for the salvation of her sweet confession, he knew that the truth of his own admission would have come flooding out of him right then and there.

"The answer is yes!" She softly revealed.

"I beg your pardon?"

Tasha looked away briefly toward the ocean, breaking the magic of the moment. And then, her eyes were suddenly back to his, accompanied by the witchery of her gaze that held him motionless, forbidding him to move.

She smiled softly. "You asked me yesterday if Data was the mistake that I let go…." Tasha stared deeply into his eyes. "The answer is yes."

There was a pause in conversation and Data found himself faced with an impracticability; one that he thought he would never hear her voice, at least in his lifetime. An admission that seemed so foreign to him and the lips that the confession suddenly fell from, it wasn't like her to admit such errors.

"What happened?" He was amazed that he was able to find his voice to even ask the impending question, especially since he was unable to tear his eyes from her face.

She smiled faintly, a sad somber look flitted unchecked across her features and Data immediately picked up on the regret that could be traced within the creases of her frown. The false rhythms of his artificial pulse began beating faster with anticipation. He was transfixed by her lips, awaiting a confession that had been denied for far too long.

Tasha looked down, nervously wringing her hands together as she fought desperately for the strength to voice the well-guarded secrets of her heart.

She refused to meet his eyes. "I, um…I left him." She looked off into the distance as she recalled the memory. "I went back with the Enterprise C because I had met a man…." Data's heart immediately fell, along with his eyes as he too began to stare at the ground. "I told Data about him in the turbo-lift of all places….Of course, I had already ended the relationship but still, it seemed so cowardly, so unlike me."

And then softly, she whispered her reasons for doing so, the reason for it all.

"He never loved me…." She scoffed in contempt from her stupidity. "So I chose a man who did, that's one of the reasons why I chose to go back with the _Enterprise C." _

And from the corner of his eye, he saw her hand quickly move up to her cheek, roughly brushing away a rebellious tear. The action broke his heart and he desperately wanted to make things right for her.

"Perhaps he loved you in his own way." The conviction that laced his voice forced Tasha to look at him. "I know he may have been emotionally unavailable to you, lacking the ability to feel but perhaps you caused him to over exceed those bounds that were physically imposed upon him. I believe that he would have deemed his relationship with you as one of his achieving feats as an android in becoming closer to humanity, mainly because you were so special to him."

Tasha's quick wit immediately picked up on his blunder. "I never said that he didn't possess emotions, I just simply stated that he didn't love me…." She stared at him dumbfounded. "There is no way that you could have possibly known that!"

Data thought quickly. "Well, I am Dr. Noonian Soong's son, so I am well aware of his efforts in the science of assembling anatomical artificial life forms. After his failed attempt with Lore, he chose to create a more docile android. As a matter of fact, he was constructing him shortly after I left."

Tasha stared at the man before her with bemusement written all over her face. "Don't take this personally but you're a terrible psychiatrist and an even more deplorable liar."

Data swallowed hard. He tried to deny the accusation. "I am not lying…"

She swiftly held her hand up, stopping all protests. "Now, I have noticed that you know me a little all too well and at first I found it a little disconcerting for my taste. And I've also noticed that you never…." Her eyes pierced his, daring him to look away. "Ever use a contraction, something that always evaded Data but you probably know that and then there's your comment about him lacking the ability to feel. No one in this timeline should know that."

Again, he tried to explain only to be stopped by the sound of her voice growing louder, accompanied with the irritation that followed his consistent denials.

"I know that you are Dr. Soong's son. I can look at you and tell that from the picture in Starfleet's Personnel. But I don't believe for one second that you are the biological son you claim to be, I think you are someone else entirely. So we are going to try this again."

She offered her hand in greeting. "Hi, I'm Tasha Yar but for some reason, I get the faint impression that you already knew that… _And_ _you are?!"_

Data looked down at her extended hand, a smug grin covering his face. Reluctantly, he took it, using the opportunity to pull her body in closer to him, as his lips lightly brushed against her ear. The brazen move sending shivers down her spine.

"I think it is time that we talk."

_**-x-x-x-x-x-**_

_**Author's Notes: Another update…Still not sure where I'm going with this but it's slowly coming to me, so please be patient with me on this one. Reviews are greatly appreciated and I want to thank all of you for reading. **_


	11. Ditto

"_**Parallels"**_

_**Chapter 11 – "Ditto"**_

Rating M ~ I think…Depends on how I see the characters playing out. Ha, ha…_I said playing!_ Lol. Okay….on with the story.

_**-x-x-x-x-**_

Tasha willingly followed him into his quarters, instead of venturing in further; she chose to stay close to the doors, as she casually leaned her body against the wall. The room was dark but from what little she could see, it was obvious he was a tidy housekeeper. Every knick-knack seemed to have its own place of order in his home.

She found it rather alarming, partly because of two things. Either, he had just moved here or he just didn't occupy his quarters that often. And if he was hardly ever there, then that caused her to question just exactly where he was most of the time. Besides, no man was that meticulous, except Data and this man had yet to affirm that suspicion.

His voice brought her out of her reverie. "Computer, raise lights to thirty percent."

Data turned around to see her leaning against the door, her arms crossed in a defensive stance. He tried not to smirk, but her response to him just seemed so – _Tasha! _Always on guard, no matter what, she was willing to protect herself at all cost. At least that was the answer he fed himself after she imposed those harsh words upon his heart, _'it never happened.'_

When he first got his emotion chip, he was almost thankful to have been spared the mortal wound that those deadly words would have caused him, but the mere memory alone forced him to relive the gut-wrenching experience seven years later. He never told his best friend about the nights he would activate his sleep sequence in a vain attempt to stop the crying, nor Deanna about how badly he wished that the woman standing before him was still around.

His eyes drifted to hers, holding her gaze intently as if beckoning her to him.

"I do not bite." He jested lightly.

Tasha looked down to the ground, smiling lightheartedly.

"I figured it might be best if history doesn't repeat itself…That is if you are who I _think _you are."

Data's face was suddenly marked with assurance as he slowly began closing the distance between them, only to stop a few inches from her. It was dangerously tempting, one having his dream at arm's length, so tangible. She was no longer a fleeting visual that only accompanied him in his state of unconsciousness. All he had to do was reach out and touch her. And that thought alone could easily resolve his cool exterior.

His eye's locked to hers, searching, almost pleading that she not run away. He leaned in, brazenly placing his hands on either side of her head, his palms firmly planted against the wall behind her, securely locking her in.

He seductively smirked, noting that she refused to change her stance, still as defiant as ever. In fact, Tasha didn't even flinch at the android's bold invasion into her space. If she was just as nervous as he was, she didn't falter in showing it. Instead, her eyes refused to leave his, an unspoken challenge being wagered; only difference now, was that he was bold enough to answer it.

For a moment, he stared into her blue eyes, slowly allowing his gaze to venture down to her lips and then back to her eyes once again. He moved his face in closer, his lips mere meters from meeting hers, so close that Tasha waited for his final descent with bated breath.

Data paused; his lips were so close that she could feel his breath against her own.

"Are you referring to the night of seduction or the sudden finality of words that marked the beginning of our denial?"

Recognition began dawning in her eyes, as she realized that apparently no matter what timeline she ended up in, her counterparts were always physically drawn to this man.

Tasha inhaled an anxious breath and exhaled. Her eyes began darting to the man's lips and back to his eyes. Data noted how her lower lip was slightly trembling with desire.

"Please…." She whispered just centimeters from his mouth, her eyes closing in anticipation.

"Please tell me it's you."

"It is me." Data jested.

Tasha's eyes flashed open immediately, fixing him with a stern look that halted his descent.

"You know what I meant." She paused a moment, then stared deeply into his blue orbs, searching. "I need to here you say it."

He tilted his head slightly to the side, curiously. "I must admit, your observations are very acute. I had previously calculated the likelihood that I would be successful in deceiving you with less than a ten percent of a successful rate. Despite preparing myself for any challenge that I might encounter, I failed to estimate any scenario where you would become a common factor. I am dismayed that my negligence has placed you in such grave danger. Your presence has forced me to desist in my current course of action and …"

His run-on thoughts were immediately cut off by the force of her lips pressing hard upon his. Her arms fiercely snaked around his neck. As her fingers dug themselves desperately throughout his silky hair, pulling his head further into the kiss as her tongue grazed the outer edges of his lips, silently seeking entry. Data gladly granted it, as their tongues intertwined, his hands slowly slid down the wall, grasping tightly onto her hips. His body pinned hers mercilessly to the wall, so much so that she could easily feel his rising desire pressing wantonly into her abdomen.

To his disappointment, Tasha abruptly broke the kiss, only to continue peppering his lips with light, sensual kisses.

"Sorry…."

She kissed him.

"You were…."

Again.

"Babbling."

She offered another kiss in between breaths.

"I couldn't hold off…."

Another one.

"Any longer."

And then more passionately, she covered his lips completely, deeply. Her hands slowly drifted down from his hair to his shoulders. And then further down, her palms firmly pressing against his chest as she began pushing him impatiently back toward the bedroom, till his body crashed into the far wall with a hard thud.

But the impact didn't dissuade the woman whose lips were still firmly pressed to his. Instead, she slowly began unbuttoning his shirt effortlessly, as if it were a chore she had done a hundred times before.

Data's hands stayed firmly at her sides, grasping the hem of the material that hung snugly to her waist. He lifted the cotton shirt with ease, briefly interrupting their kiss as Tasha raised her hands up high to accommodate him as he removed the barrier completely, tossing it off to the side to land wherever it will.

Finally, she finished unbuttoning his garment as she roughly pushed the material down the length of his arms, virtually ripping it off of him. And then just as quickly, she fumbled with the waistband of his pants, her fingers timidly unfastening the button.

Tasha cautiously met his eyes, only to have his lips passionately reclaim hers. Softly, he nudged her to the side where the doors to his bedroom instantly hissed open. He deliberately changed their positions, so that he was now the one recklessly leading her back toward the bed, as her hands briefly left the confines of his pants to caress the contours of his chiseled chest. The light touches of her fingers marveling at the definition of his tone abdomen, like a child fascinated by a new toy.

Data smiled against her lips at her obvious approval, as she continued to relish in the feel of his skin. His hand swiftly moved and unclasped her bra, gently sliding the nuisance down her arms. He resumed pushing her back until her legs bumped into the bed, gently; he laid her down, causing her to groan in disapproval as he broke their kiss.

Only to unbutton her pants, as he effortlessly removed all material, leaving her completely bare before him. Slowly, Tasha began to move up the length of the mattress, only to be halted by his strong hands upon her hips, pulling her back down to him as he fell to his knee's before her. Tasha was amazed to discover that he had already somehow removed all of his clothing as well.

She grabbed hold of a pillow, maneuvering it beneath her head as she peered down into the blue eyes of the man at the foot of the bed, a devilish smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. She laid her head back and sighed audibly as his lips grazed her inner thigh, softly peppering light kisses up the length, only to pause where she most wanted his attention. Tasha groaned in frustration as he returned his attention to the other leg, mimicking his previous affection.

Until his mouth finally claimed her completely, her hips lightly jumped from the sensations his tongue began to stir inside her. His lips paying special attention to the sensitive bud that would deliver her salvation, as he slowly inserted one finger inside her.

"Oh God, Data… Don't stop!" She demanded breathlessly.

Instantly, he could feel her muscles beginning to tense up, a sure sign that she was close to the edge.

A few more strokes of his finger and some expert, divine ministrations of his tongue sent her hips bucking and her voice screaming his name over and over again. His hands immediately tightened upon her hips, keeping her in place as he swiftly moved to push himself so hard inside her that she literally moved halfway up the bed.

"Jeezus!" She bellowed out.

The mind-blowing action causing her in progress orgasm to only intensify, as she cried out even louder in pleasure, partly from the sensation of him buried deep inside of her. Data didn't waste any time in moving, despite the fact that her muscles were still tightly clenching his member on and off again, reminding him that she was still in the middle of her previous peak. He listened intently as his name was continually falling forth from her lips, assisting the women writhing beneath him in riding out the rest of her orgasm, his hips insistently thrusting deep inside her.

The feeling of her surrounding him was almost too much to bear. The emotion the act itself invoked was a hundred times more pleasurable than their last union, particularly because his organic skin allowed him to react to the sensations themselves. He was close, he could feel the gratification building deep within the pit of his stomach and from the way Tasha was beginning to tense up again, he knew that she was just as close as he was.

His keen ear heard nothing but the sound of the bed squeaking and his lover's moans of delight. In fact, she was so loud that he began to worry that some passerby might become alarmed, in fear that a woman was being assaulted, when the exact opposite was happening. So he opted for the only remaining solution – He kissed her, fiercely.

The action sufficed in muting her squeals of pleasure but it didn't quiet her completely. Instead, it only muffled the sounds, which were now reverberating in his mouth as he refused to break the kiss. Her tongue immediately began plunging deep into his mouth mimicking every thrust of his hips. Unfortunately, he decided to explore her body at the wrong time, breaking the kiss, his lips moved down to the length of her neck to lightly suckle her collarbone. One hard thrust sending her completely over the edge. Tasha's screams were deafening and with a few more thrusts of his own, he was soon following her release, groaning loudly himself.

Moments passed between them, their bodies soaked in sweat from their vigorous sexual encounter, till finally Tasha spoke.

Her body struggling between deep breaths. "Data…_That_… Was…Amazing!"

"Perhaps this is a bad time to tell you that I am not Data." He looked at her smiling broadly, clearly joking.

She chuckled and lightly smacked him on his back. "Hush…I knew who you were the moment I saw you."

He leaned back in to kiss her, a short, sweet peck to confirm his happiness.

Slowly, he maneuvered to pull himself out, only to be stopped by her protests.

"Don't…Not yet." She looked at him sheepishly. "I just want to have you this close a little longer."

Data stared into her eyes, his love for her shining brightly in the blue depths.

"I have a confession to make."

Tasha eyes furrowed in trepidation. _'Oh God, he's married,'_ she thought.

"I have always loved you." He declared.

Her heart was elated by the confession.

She smiled, shamelessly. "Ditto."

He looked at her curiously, mouthing the word silently to himself, obviously not understanding.

Tasha giggled to herself. "It means _'me too'_."

His face immediately enlightened with the knowledge of her disclosure and once again, he kissed her, sensually this time.

As the kiss broke, Tasha pierced his eyes with hers; the fatigue was easily noticeable in them.

"I'm tired." She stated, clearly drained.

Data silently nodded as he moved off to the side of her, gently kissing her forehead before he did so. He moved in closer behind her in a spooning position, with his arm draped securely around her waist.

They laid in silence for a few minutes, as her breathing began to calm, so much so that Data thought that she was beginning to drift off to sleep.

But the velvety sound of her voice disproved his suspicions.

"Data?"

"Hmm?"

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but…why are you here?" He remained silent. "I mean, I love that you are but you're keeping something from me, aren't you?"

The android took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Unfortunately, I am not certain that it is safe for you to know."

Immediately, she turned on him, anger replacing the fatigue that was previously seen in her eyes.

"Dammit Data, if you're in trouble, you need to let me know so I can try and help you!" She could visually tell that her outburst shocked him, so her tone softened considerably. "We're in this together now…Whether you like it or not."

"I am not sure if the species even existed in your timeline."

"What species?"

"The Borg."

Her eyes widened in horror and her reaction was the only answer he needed to confirm that she knew exactly who he was talking about.

"They have evolved tremendously and are one of the greatest threats posed to the Federation. They have a leader, a Queen."

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"A few years back, Captain Picard was taken hostage by the Borg and assimilated into their collective. He was a mate to this Queen, his name was Locutus."

"Okay…What does all of that have to do with you?"

"The last thing I remember is being in rendezvous to Atrea IV to visit my mother."

Tasha looked completely taken back. "You're what?"

"My mother…Dr. Soong's wife…She assisted him in my creation." Her eyes continued to search his, as she remained silent, beckoning him to continue. "I was apparently asleep when the Borg ship came upon me and transported me to theirs. For days they kept me in a constant dream state. In one, I would be with you and in another I would be back aboard the Enterprise." He gently kissed her shoulder. "I honestly thought for a while that I was losing my mind, experiencing some malfunction because of the parallel universe's I kept finding myself in."

"So you are technically still an android?"

Data smiled at the hope he detected in her voice. "Yes, I am."

"But you have emotions and you appear human?"

"My father created an emotion chip for me shortly before he died and…" He looked down at the skin on his forearm. "The organic skin was the Borg Queen's bidding. I am assuming that she is using it to manipulate me into obtaining what she wants."

"Why does she want you specifically?"

Data's visage suddenly changed, his apprehension visibly creased within his forehead. "I can give her what she want… Locutus back by her side."

Tasha looked concerned. "Where's the _Enterprise_?"

"Thirty years in the future…" He paused a moment. "I have already sent an interval of encrypted subspace messages to their last known position but I cannot guarantee that they will arrive in the futuristic time. I even sent a few to Atrea IV to my mother, in hopes that she would contact the _Enterprise_ upon their arrival. I estimated that the communication could reach their destination between twenty to thirty-three years from the first day of my arrival."

"Well, let's just hope your messages reach the crew in time…" Tasha turned her head slightly, a sincere smile upon her lips. "So let me get this straight, this Borg Queen wants you to deliver _this_ 'past' Picard to her?"

"Yes…She believes that his state of mind will render him more docile."

Tasha eyes narrowed in confusion.

"In this timeline, twenty years before the Enterprise D's commission, he was court-martialed and vigorously placed on trial for abandoning the Stargazer after the Battle of Maxia… The Borg Queen believes that this Picard will have no will to fight his impending assimilation back to Locutus, considering the circumstances surrounding him in Starfleet."

"Something like that happened during my timeline…Except Captain Picard lost the Stargazer in a battle with the Klingons, but not before performing the Picard maneuver on them. He lost a lot of crewmembers, only a handful survived."

An unsettling silence drifted between them, as Tasha finally asked the looming question that plagued her mind, but not before maneuvering her body to face him completely.

"Are you going to do it?"

Data remained quiet for a few seconds, pondering her question, unsure if he wanted to face the weight of its burden. It was inevitable, once one was in the clutches of the Borg, resistance really was futile. And he knew that if the Queen found out about Tasha's existence, she would surely use her against him. So in order to keep the woman he loved safe, he would give up the life of his Captain.

"I see no other alternative."

"Captain Picard is one of your patient's…." Tasha immediately began trying to dissuade him with other options. "You can tell him, Data….Reveal who you really are and recruit his help. We can use him."

"We?" Data raised his brows in question, his voice alarmed and dismayed.

"Yes, as in _us!_" Tasha eyes filled with concern. "I hope you don't think that I'm going to let you handle this matter on your own. We're in this together...I refuse to leave you behind again."

Data quickly sat up, instantly troubled. "Tasha, I will not lose you again. I am sorry but there is no us."

Tasha shot up, completely indifferent toward the sheet falling away from her naked body. "What the hell does that mean?"

His voice raised slightly and his tone a little more harsh than he initially intended. "I refuse to endanger your life!"

"And I refuse for you to endanger yours!" She argued back.

"Why must you be so stubborn?"

Tasha's eyes widened from the insult. "Me, stubborn? You're the one who is being so bull-headed here. You've got the help you need right now, half of the _Enterprise_ senior crew is at your disposal and yet you refuse to initiate us into your plans."

"It is logical not to get everyone involved, especially you!"

"You mean it's logical to you, right?" Data opened his mouth to persuade her but Tasha held up a dismissive hand. "Honestly, it sounds like your allowing your personal feelings to interfere with your professional judgment as a Starfleet officer."

He stared at her, his eyes pleading with hers, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is it wrong for me to love that much…To only wish to protect you?"

Tasha's reached out, her palm cupping Data's cheek. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that…" Her eyes softened. "No, Data, it's not wrong for you to love me that much. In fact, it's right….so right! But it is also fitting for you to allow me to help you carry your burdens. When you're in trouble, I'm in trouble…When all is well with you, then all is well with me. It's a mutual relationship. Do you understand?"

He nodded his head in agreement as she leaned in to gently kiss his lips. "Good, this it's all solved."

Data leaned in again and kissed her lips once more, the gesture affirming his resolution toward their argument.

She smiled contentedly. "You ready to go to sleep?"

Data pulled her body in tightly to his as he laid them back down, Tasha nuzzled her head into his neck, lazily draping her hand around his tone abdomen.

"By the way, I love you too." She whispered into his neck, completely content.

"Ditto."

_**-x-x-x-x-**_


End file.
